Falling Down
by Threaded Needles
Summary: It's about picking yourself back up. WonderBeetle. Personality switch. T for minor violence, suggestive themes and language. Villain!Cassie.
1. Chapter 1

"You know, I think this is our best catch yet."

"You said it," they slapped their palms together, each emitting a high-pitched laugh, their costumes shimmering in the half-light, the candle-light glowing across our victims.

Jinx leans down, her glossy sheen of bubblegum pink hair tumbling down her shoulders while she inspected her prizes. When she stood, she clacked her heavy boots and said, "I call the African American. That skin is flawless."

"Man, where's the flat iron?" Dementia said, circling her wrist around the pole that stood out in the underground base. Her grin lit up her pasty pale face, her curly red hair framing the crazy blue eyes of hers. "I'll go as the bat. I've always wanted to fly." Crazy, I told you.

"I guess I get the cat..." I trail off, pushing my blonde locks out of my eyes and blindly adjusting my uniform. Red sheer sparkly that ended just after my elbow, and a skirt that floated down just above my knee, the hood pulled up around my head.

Dementia lets out a laugh, untying the rope restricting the victims, and pulling their uniforms off. The orange and black costume is in my hand in seconds, and Dementia already has her white shimmering leotard to her ankles, ripping up the black and gray Bat Girl uniform up, and pulling the cowl over her face. "What kind of noise do bats make?"

We of ignore her. Jinx does a little bit of a spin with her fingers and her skin turns black and her hair shrinks and turns dark, before she pulls on the BumbleBee outfit.

When we're all done, Dementia insists on showing the boys, as if they'll care. So me and Jinx slink after her, and I nervously shove contacts against my eyes, blinking the gray iris's in.

Jinx is pulling her goggles on and off, while Dementia explains to Red our plan of attack while Jericho and Icicle Junior play black jack on the folded out card table.

Icicle laughs, throwing his cards out in a large pile. "You three have got to be the lamest villains ever."

"At least we don't sit around playing cards all day," Jinx sneers, using her magic to pick one of the cards up and tear it in half.

"Besides, when they see the damage done to their little base of operations, they'll be wishing they had let us into their team."

Jericho tapped his fingers to his mouth, than pointed to Jinx, as if to say shut up. Dementia turned bright red. "Shut the fuck up Jericho."

Jericho shrugged his shoulders and went back to his game. The tension in the air was unbelievable. I was hoping for a second that Dementia would decide to ease it, but she just pulled at her cape, threw it around herself, and then ran out the door.

Me and Jinx followed her, walking down the streets to the Hall Of Justice. We kept quiet, because it's times like these when-if- you say a word, Dementia will rip your throat out and leave it for the pigeons.

"Approaching Hall Of Justice," Dementia says in her little huff of a voice.

We both nod, while Dementia braces herself and practically throws herself into the Hall, screaming for Bat Girl's well-known boyfriend. "NIGHTWING!"

"She's gonna blow our cover..." Jinx mutters, playing with one of her earrings. But she ran in after her, none the less.

When I finally trudged up the stairs, Jinx was gone and Dementia was fighting with Nightwing.

I step in cautiously and make my way over towards Dementia, who is chatting it on up with Nightwing, something about him cheating on her. "Listen, I understand, let's break up, but don't go cheating on me with that whore of a magician!"

Geez, she knew how to make a scene.

"Me and Zee? We were just having coffee. We're co-workers, that's what we do."

"Consider it over," Dementia says, then stalks away, having no idea where she's going.

Someone approaches behind me, and when I turn around, it's a hero dressed in black and blue armor, weird orange and red eyes. "Hey Arty, you said you'd teach me to defensive maneuvers."

"I did?"

"Yeah," he says, pulling me by my hand towards a flight of stairs. We descend, and when the lights flicker in, I see him, smirking.

"So, Arty," he says, stepping forward. "How are we supposed to do this?" He places his hand on my shoulders and pushes me down, scraping my hands and back. "Also mind telling me why your two heads shorter?"

Shit. I scrambled back up. "Must not be anything..." She searched her mind for a name, and... I had no idea who he was.

"Beetle, blue beetle," he says with a wink.

"Right, thanks, could you not, you know, tell everyone?" I said in a soft voice.

He smirked. "Of course, WonderGirl, just promise me one thing?"

"Sure...?"

His face got hard, "get the fuck out of our base."

_A.N. So, thanks for reading. This is the first time I've written for WonderBeetle, also, I wish it was Canon rather than WonderBird. But, I'm going to do step-by-step falling in love. _

_Also, Dementia is an OC because I need another girl on the Young Injustice side and I didn't want to go with Donna because Cassie is already on their side and I feel it'd be an overdose. Points to whoever can guess her power though :D_

_Please R&R The Portal Gun by MapleDragon_


	2. Chapter 2

"How exactly did our cover get blown?" Dementia whines, propping her head against Red's shoulder. They're on the love seat because Arsenal paid a surprise visit, and he's sitting next to me on the couch. Red kind of ignores her.

Jinx shrugs. I look away, remembering my conversation with Blue Beetle.

"What you guys need is Class A plans," Arsenal says, tapping his head, "Right here, baby."

"I don't even know why I'm working with you morons," Red says with a sigh.

Arsenal stretches his arms, putting a hand on my shoulder, and the other on Jinx, pulling us closer. "Jealous?"

"Hardly."

Arsenal lets go. "You guys are attacking the bud, not the root, that's your problem."

Red shrugs and leans back farther into his seat, and Dementia takes the opportunity to move her head to his chest. And it's not like he can resist her, three years training under Batman and he succumbs so easily to a fifteen year old girl.

"So, we attack them, outside of petty border wars and drug deals."

Jericho quickly signs, "We don't deal, we keep things fair between us and them."

Arsenal shrugs him off, I doubt he understood what Jericho was saying anyways. "I've got info on where everyone goes to school. No specifics, but definitely the schools. The rest is up to you," he says, sliding a folder across to Red. He gets up, planting a kiss on both mine and Jinx's cheek, and then exits.

Jinx wipes her kiss off her cheek.

"Let's see here, Gotham Academy, Keystone High School, Happy Harbor High, and Rio Grande High School," Red reads off.

Dementia scoots forward, pulls out a pen and then circles a piece. "Keystone will be where Kid Flash will reside."

"How can you tell?" Icicle asks accusingly.

"That's where the other one was, history repeats itself." She says, her voice several octaves higher.

I swear to god if they start fighting I'm not going to break them up, and wait to see who wins.

Red wraps his arm securely around Dementia before she can work her insane magic, holding he to his chest. "Now, we now Beast Boy would not be in public, so, Dementia, where would Robin be?"

"Gotham Academy."

"And why is that?"

"Because history repeats itself," Dementia replied bitterly.

"Yes," Red says, circles Gotham and draws a line out that says: Robin.

We go over it more. Superboy, Guardian, Bumblebee, Miss Martian, Tigress, and Nightwing have all probably graduated, and Lagoon Boy probably didn't attend school. Which just left Blue Beetle, assuming he didn't always look like a bug.

"I'm gonna go ahead and say Rio Grande. He sounds Spanish," Jinx tries.

"Now you're just being stereotypical."

Jinx waves her hands in dismissal, "yeah, whatever. I say we split until three groups and take them all down."

"Who died and made you Queen?" Icicle asks, shuffling his deck of cards. "Besides, I'm twenty-one. I'm not going to pass off as a tenth grader, in any universe."

Jericho shrugs, then signs, "then we simply exclude Cameron and one person has to team up with Arsenal."

The next morning, I'm in front of Rio Grande school, dressed in a gray hoodie and blue jeans. Arsenal has his hands wrapped around my waist. He plants a kiss as we walk in. "Just act cool," he says, tipping his glasses- which is part of his disguise- upwards.

"You're cool," I say, slouching forward while Arsenal pops the first button on his button-down shirt.

He kisses my cheek. "Alright, sweetheart, have a good time in tenth, I'll try not to party too hard in my senior class."

I grumble, "thanks."

He smiles then saunters off towards the senior section.

I go to my class, and sit in the back at a table with no occupants. A few other kids filter in, but none sit next to me.

"Hey, new kid, you don't just take our seats!" A guy exclaims, falsely angry as he smiles, his long black hair falling in a curtain around his shoulders. He sits down next to me, while his friend sits on the other side.

"Tye Longshadow, this is my best bud for life, Jaime Reyes," he says, shaking my hand.

"Oh, um, Cassandra Sandsmark." It's really lame I can't think of a fake name. I see Jaime looking at me with a small smirk on his face, and I feel totally exposed, like I've literally just told the whole world who I was. "So, uh, what class is this."

Tye answers, "Basic Communication. It's pretty lame, but the teacher is cool."

"What grade are you in Cassandra?" Jaime asks abruptly.

"Oh, tenth," I say modestly. The both of them have to be at least in eleventh.

Tye nods, "So you must know my girl, Asami?"

"Um, no, I just moved into the city."

"Oh," Tye says softly, fiddling with his pencil.

Jaime doesn't stop it though, bomb barding me with questions, and then slams back suddenly half way through the discussion, mumbling about taking a leak.

I jump up after him, taking suspicious, and run after him in the deserted halls. And then that's when I noticed that his body was morphing. His legs, chest and arms became invaded with armor, a face mask slotted down.

He turns around, right at the entrance, two large dragonfly-like wings extending from his back. "Following me WonderGirl?!"

It doesn't exactly surprise me that he knows. "Wasn't trying to."

He flutters down in front of me, grasping my shoulders, and the black costume at his face crawls away, revealing his smooth skin, "Then should I suggest a date?"

"N-no," I mumble, my face turning red.

He cackles, "Don't worry, with you still being the underbelly of Gotham, I highly doubt it would work."

"Then why are you letting me go?"

"Did you not hear the word underbelly? People like Savage need to be taken down, not some girl hyped up in her fantasy romance," he says, jazzing his hands around.

_A.N. Chapter Two! :D _


	3. Chapter 3

Early, Saturday morning, me and Jinx are sitting at our small circular table, talking.

Jinx was fairly certain she had a lead on Kid Flash and I was... definitely hiding the fact that I knew who Blue Beetle was.

Jinx is stirring in creamer to her coffee when they start fighting. I rub my temples together while Jericho lumbers into the kitchen, grabbing a bowl and spoon and arming himself with Mini Wheats, because yeah, that is what will save him in the Zombie Apocalypse.

"Ugh, you would think they could sleep in the same room without going at each others throats in the morning," Jinx says, spooning some coffee into her mouth. She moves aside the top to the ceramic sugar holder and spoons more sugar into it.

I tap my fingers against the table. I can barely hear what they're talking about, but it's definitely escalating and I'm sure that eventually they'll come down here and make it public.

Sure enough, minutes later, Dementia is slamming cupboards shut in attempts to find her tea, a pot of water set on the stove to boil, she's still in yellow shorts and a tank top, her hair curlier from sleeping on it all night.

"You need to listen-" Jason starts. His hair is still a mess and his sea green eyes are burning with intensity as he stares at her, his fingers curling tighter around her arms as he pulls her closer.

"No, you listen, please," her voice is softer than usual, pleading, almost. I wonder if she's attempting to refrain from taking him to hell and back. "They are still my friends, you may have gotten off on the wrong terms, but I left with grace, they understand, and I don't need your blessings to see them again."

"You said you were done when you left," he said sternly, shaking her a little. Jinx sips her coffee and watches them, since they're better than reality TV.

She rolls her eyes, "I'm not locking up Clock King, I'm hanging out with them at a public place."

He seems to mull this over, while she goes back to her tea, "Okay, fine, but take Cassie with you."

She hugs him, the top of her head just barely brushes under his chin.

"You better get changed," Jinx advices, raising an eyebrow at my midnight blue nightgown.

I shuffle my bare feet, and grumble into my toast, tapping the glass of my orange juice. I strip the bread of it's crust with my teeth before pushing my chair out to make my way to the basement and get changed.

An hour later, Jason is still unhappy about it, even going so far as to lock himself in one of the empty rooms, cussing all the words in the book, and painting. I have no idea why he has such a fondness for painting, and it's not like you can just ask him since he's always so grumpy.

Jinx is still in PJs when me and Dementia- ahem, Luna, as that's her civilian name- holding a magazine upside down as she flips through it, her legs stretched out over the couch cushions.

"Hey, we're going now," I say, pulling open the front door. Jinx lifts a leg in response, and nods her foot as if to say goodbye.

We walk because its faster, and there is no need for subway tokens or whatever. We're passing the post office when 'Luna' tugs on my arm, bringing me to a halt. Abruptly, behind us, a third pair of footsteps stops.

I turn around, to find no one behind us. "The invisible man?" she asks next to me.

"Dude, just, hit him with your insanity-"

Her hand clamps over my mouth. "Spoilers?! Shit, do you want me arrested?"

"Oh, right, sorry..." I whisper, a furious blush across my face.

We continue, with the footsteps behind us. Dementia only arches an eyebrow, and swiftly turns around. "Alright guys, come out."

No one does. Dementia turns back, while I'm tackled from behind. "SWEETHEART!"

Oh my god. Dementia snickers. In a sugary voice, she adds, "I see you've met Jaime."

"He goes to my school," I grumble. Jaime's arms don't loosen from around my middle.

"And this is Bart," she says, nodding her head to the side where a reddish-brown haired kid suddenly is standing, smiling, his freckles dotting across his face.

"'Sup, girl. Luna, I would like to introduce Cissie," he brings a girl with almost waist-length blonde hair over, his left hand entwined with her right.

"I thought you guys were bringing Conner and Tim too?" Dementia asks, waving her fingers in a friendly wave to Cissie.

"Ah, Tim's with his new GF, don't tell him, but their babies turn out so cute," Barts says while making a face and a squeal. I look at him, thinking he may be mentally impaired. "Oh, and Conner is waiting at the cafe."

"Sounds like fun, Cassie?" She says, turning towards me.

"Coming," I say, ripping away from Jaime and following Dementia.

Unfortunately, while Dementia talks it up with Bart, Jaime walks side by side with me. Like, he didn't just insult me a few days ago, and there isn't a line drawn between us as hero and villain.

"So, how are you?"

Why can't he leave me alone? "Fine, and you?" I ask, attempting to keep my voice from wavering, mostly because I'm nervous.

"Great. Didn't realize you would take my suggestion for a date seriously." I can tell he's joking, but it still rubs me the wrong way.

"Ugh," I manage to say, and catch up with Dementia, no matter how weird it is to be around new people.

"So, Cassie, where do you work?" Cissie asks, her sugary sweet voice apparent.

That's a hard question. "Here and there. You?"

Not exactly a lie. "Oh, I work at the archery range in Central," she answers.

"That must be cool."

Things fall into a comfortable silence for a minute while we're walking. "So, you and Jaime?" She asks in a low whisper.

"Woah, no. Never. Trust me on this one," I say sincerely.

"Liar," she says playfully. We reach the cafe, and she goes to let the door slam in my face, when Jaime catches it and holds it open for me while I crawl in. Of course. I catch Cissie winking at me.

We all sit in a elaborate booth, which has red velvet seats, and a light brown circular table. It's warm and friendly, with music playing low on the countertop, and two workers bustling around taking orders.

Someone comes and hands us menus, and I flatten it against the table, staring at it and try and pretend Jaime isn't there.

When the waiter comes back, I order hazelnut coffee, and then go back to staring at the table. Because it is more interesting then Jaime.

Okay, that is more than definitely a lie, but who cares? I'm still going to stare at the table.

Obviously Cissie has other plans, and while Bart is enthralled with talking to Conner about fishing or some sort of other 'manly' sport, she reaches over and gives me what could come off as a playful shove.

Except it doesn't, and I fall back against, of course, Jaime.

I spring back, shove him out of the way and sprint out of the door. Sure it's not exactly typical, but I've had enough.

I hear footsteps after me, and I'm about to turn around and cry into Dementia's shoulder while she goes on about how much of a prick they all are, when they spin me around and clasps me into a tight hug.

I swear, this guy cannot take a hint.

I mean, I've been trying to avoid him (especially since he kicked me out of the HoJ) and here he is, coming back to me and bugging me.

So, I do the only sensible thing, and cry my eyes out against his cotton shirt, while he rubs my back like I'm a cat or something, his thumb brushing off tears as they spill out. "Don't mind Cissie, she's new."

It makes me feel slightly better. Well, enough to gain back my dignity and take several steps away from him and wipe my tears away with the sleeve of my purple sweatshirt.

"Gah, I'm sorry, I'm always such a mess around you-" I manage.

"It's fine, you should just be thankful that I don't mind the company of villains."

"I wouldn't call myself a villain."

He smiles. "Really, what then, Cassie?"

"Red calls us Anti-heroes, so you know, dating you isn't exactly crossing any sort of lines."

This time he definitely laughs, "Good thing, or else I'd be in jail by now."

I wonder if he's implying that he's dated other girls that were villains.

So, I figured since I'm already going to hell, I stride the few steps to reach him, put my hands on his shoulder, stand on my tip-toes and kiss his cheek.

I collect my thoughts and begin to walk away, still feeling kind of hyped up, like glad I could do that. Even if it was just on the cheek, and I'm glad Dementia didn't see that, because then she'd probably suspect me being a mole.

"Something wrong with my mouth?" He calls out.

I smile to myself.

_A.N. Sorry about Cissie's attitude. If you are a huge die hard fan of Arrowette and I slaughtered your happiness of her, I am truly sorry. _


	4. Chapter 4

Sometime I need to look up the meaning of irony and record it's meaning. Because I'm fairly certain this falls under irony.

Arrowette has the bags of groceries I was carrying tucked neatly under her left arm, smiling, her red domino mask tilted upward as if she had plastered it to her face in a hurry.

Nightwing is standing about a foot away, his ecrisma stick pressed tight against my throat.

And me, well, my back is jabbed into the rough brick of a bakery, my bare feet shaking and dirty with the slush that has gotten over them.

I make a mental note to remember to tell Dementia that when we go to get bread to go in pairs so we don't get jumped by the heroes.

Of course I could take them out, but Red has ordered low-profile. He wants us to keep a clean slate for when we go our separate ways. Of course, it's not like we were the worse out there in the first place- we rob when we need money or are starving, we break-and-enter if we really need a place to crash, and we just annoy The Team to no end.

And I know that Dementia totally lies to us about the reason why we're the bad guys is because we can't get into the The Team, but that's totally bull. Jason used to be their old Robin until misfortunate events, and Dementia was a saved subject from a genetics lab. The only reason those two aren't on the team is because Jason would rather solve Gotham's problems on his own terms, and Dementia is too head over heels in love with him to swallow her pride and go back.

Jericho seems to think that because his father is Deathstroke they won't even consider him, and Icicle is a complete and total asshole no matter what you do with him. Arsenal comes and goes as he pleases. Jinx is 'bad luck' and I have absolutely no use of my powers. Basically, one day Dementia crawled into my window after school when I broke a kids arm with two fingers, and offered me friends and love.

Needless to say, we aren't exactly the bad guys, and if the media got a picture of what's going on right now, I'm sure that would totally clean our slates.

"So what do you think Cassie?"

Her voice is so damn familiar. I can't place it though, and I'm not sure if I would be able to.

I'm only barely able to slightly turn my heads towards her without causing too much discomfort. I should spit in his eye. That way I'm not breaking bones and its not like he can tell the media 'she spit in my eye!' without sounding absolutely ridiculous.

"What about Dementia?"

Arrowette shifts uncomfortably and looks bluntly at Nightwing. He answers cautiously, "she's become too much of a wild card. While she could easily be our Ace in the hole, she could also be our double whammy."

"You want me to abandon my team," I croak out. I would kill for some water right now.

"Your assets would fit in quite nicely with ours. We aren't asking for abandonment either. We are asking for a spy."

"Besides, we have Blue Beetle," Arrowette pipes up. I look at her incredulously.

"Cissie?"

"Shit." Arrowette says, then peels off her domino mask. It flutters to the ground out of her gloved hands, and her right hand nervously etches around her eyes, while her left fingers touch her waist.

"So, Luna was meeting with you guys, no wonder Jason threw such a fit. What, is she already your spy?"

Nightwing answers, "No, Luna happens to just be a still close friend. But she causes more damage then good, trust me."

"Right, sorry about destroying your relationship with-"

I shut my mouth, pursing my lips. Nightwing doesn't respond. He's probably already dating somebody else anyways, knowing him.

Sirens fill the air, and I smirk, batting the ecrisma stick away. "Unless you want more media troubles I suggest you move it."

Cissie goes to open her mouth and argue, but since she has my groceries and my flip-flops, and I'm dressed in civvies and my neck know now has a golf-ball sized bruise, she seems to think better.

She tosses me my shoes, and I slip my stained feet into them. When I look up, they are both gone. I smirk and grab my bag of groceries.

I turn out of the alley and walk down the sidewalk, ignoring the police telling me to stop. "Young lady, please, we would like to talk to you about a robbery down on thirty-"

They all fall over suddenly, some on their knees, panting and screaming, others clutching their chests as if they can't breath. The chief is holding his gun up into the air, shaking in his hands. "Step into the light you coward!"

I know the voice before they say a word. "I'm not a coward."

And then the whole world twists neon and the ground opens, and the concrete swallows me.

_A.N. Again, apologies about Arrowette. I went to the comic book store today to find some YJ, but the Y category was blocked by a poster... So, is still relying on instinct here..._

_I am fully willing to PM details about Dementia's history & powers, if you are curious. _

_have you figured out Dementia's powers yet? I'll give you hint, it relates to her name and she was other one who caused all that madness at the end. _

_-Threaded Needles_


	5. Chapter 5

When I wake up, my head fucking hurts. There is literally no other way to describe it, a rhythmic pounding in my skull.

My eyes flutter open and take in my surroundings. I'm lying on a cot in the police station, the cell locked tight. Both my hands are chained to the ground with some sort of beeping light which I can only assume is making it so I can't use my strength.

Fantastic.

My head thumps against the thin cot and I shiver under the ragged blanket. This is uncomfortable.

Luckily, I'm saved from my boredom when a man with dark locks opens my door to my cell, and tilts his hat back. "Ma'am, I'm officer Grayson, your boyfriend is here to pick your ass up."

"Such a gentlemen," I say with a scowl, while Grayson busies himself with unlocking my hands. The left hand comes unlocked an I flex my wrist, my fingers curling into a fist.

I wonder who came to get me- Arsenal or Jericho.

"What happened last night?" I ask, my head all fuzzy. Grayson looks at me, unlocking my right hand. I stretch both my arms forward.

"Well, it appears you and your accomplice decided to rob a bank, and your partner let you take the fall."

Dementia. It can be the only way. I swear to god-

"Good morning, hermoso. Good night rest?"

I know in some crazy ninth dimension I should thank him for bailing me out of jail, but I'm not exactly in a thanking mood.

"I slept fine, a little late though, aren't you, Jaime?"

"Señorita, your belongings had to be recorded and your check-up done, besides, it is not yet mediodía."

He says it as if we are really dating and he's trying to calm me down. I notice Police Officer Grayson is on the phone, chatting it on up, so I don't understand the act.

"Coffee and then home, novio?"

"Sure," I say, slightly apprehensive. He slides off his hoodie and holds it out for me to get into. Well, this is quite the elaborate act.

I push both my arms into it, gather my hair and drop it behind the hood. Jaime zips it up for me.

We walk out out of the police station, our hands entwined. I figure he'll drop the act when we're a block away from the police station and he can safely plasma blast me- or whatever he does- so I mind as well play along.

The sky is gray and dark, so a lot of people are taking refuge in stores or are calling for taxi's or are waiting for buses.

I'm assuming that means that it's going to rain soon.

Jaime makes me follow him down a narrow path with a bunch of dingy looking shops and shady looking people hunched over. There is even a tire burning.

At the end, the path opens up and reveals a cafe with soft glowing orange lights, and painted a creme color. The outside is painted in swirls, depicting the name, and it has a white neon light hanging in the window that says: Open.

"Coffee?" He asks, and when I don't respond, he shoulders his way in through the door, me following.

The first thing I notice is a very short girl with tight red locks, that seem to curl around her pristine face. A. Few freckles for her face, and her eyes are wide and gray.

My immediate thought is how much she looks like Dementia- minus the eye color, when it dawns on me. It must be Tigress and the late Kid Flash's daughter.

"Valentina, where's your mom?" Jaime asks, as if it's perfectly normal to be talking to a two year old.

"In the back," she says, though it comes out slightly disoriented. She swings her legs back and forth, then jumps off the counter. "Can I get you something, sir?"

I stifle a laugh. For a two year old, she speaks extremely well. She toddles over to a empty table, and hands us both menus. "We're just here for coffee," Jaime says.

Valentina purses her lips. "Well then."

"Just go get your mother," Jaime says, even though it comes out more like a command.

She lifts an eyebrow, then calls out for her mother, running off towards the back with all the cups and silverware and coffee makers.

A blonde woman, wearing the gold vest over a plain white button-down uniform, comes back to the table a second later. Valentina is preoccupied on the counter with a lollipop.

"What can I get you?"

Since I Tigress (and I trapeezed around as her for a few hours) I feel unbelievably guilty. "Oh, um, a cappuccino," I manage. "And, uh, I'm sorry."

She writes this down the smiles, "Jaime?"

"Just black coffee."

She writes it down, then goes off to start making the coffees. I notice that it's pretty deserted. The only other people in here is a couple- a girl with light blonde hair curled and a guy with a military cut black hair.

I drum my fingers against the table. "So, tell me about yourself," Jaime says, breaking the silence.

"Like what?" I ask, while Tigress-waitress sets out orders in front of us.

"Anything. Everything. Why'd you decide to take the- as you call it- anti hero side?"

"Why does that concern you?"

He smile and takes a sip of his coffee, "because you're on our radar, and we could use someone like you on our side, if you'd like to switch sides."

I fumble with the wrapper around my styrofoam cup. They have Justice League members on them, and I've got Wonder Woman on mine.

"You know, Wonder Woman would be willing to take you on as a sidekick," he says.

"Really?" I ask, slightly too giddily. She was one of the reasons why I chose my name- because my powers so closely resembled those of hers.

He nods. "So, still want to boycott the team?"

"Yes."

He raises an eyebrow and takes another sip of his coffee. "You realize that the team you are so desperately holding onto was going to let you stay in jail?"

"No they wouldn't."

"Then why was I the one paying your bail?" He asks, in a low voice.

Rain begins to splatter against the windows, and I briefly look away to watch it. "Listen, I like you. I like a lot if you, Cissie is funny, you're... you, Tigress is forgiving, but these guys are my family."

He leans back in his chair. The other couple leaves, and I shift in my chair uncomfortably. Out of nowhere he says, "indeed."

We finish in awkward silence and Jaime pays the waitress the amount for our drinks, and then opens the door for me. It's still raining, and raining hard. A car rolls by and splashes up slush on us.

"C'mon, I'll walk you home," Jaime says, taking my hand again.

We run through the rain and down the street, but it doesn't help much, we are soaked in seconds. We stop underneath a alcove at a store. I shiver, and briefly try and shake out my now stringy hair.

He hugs me, and I briefly notice that he's shivering too. It wasn't exactly warm to begin with, and added the freezing temperature of the rain (and the fact that he gave me his hoodie) it's a wonder he's not dying of hypothermia.

This is a really bad time to notice that he's perfectly sculpted underneath his tight soaked shirt, and his deep brown eyes are so full of love and bright, and in every way- even the mess of wet black hair on his head- is absolutely perfect.

"Whatchya staring at?" He asks, totally ruining the mood. I turn (at the very least) crimson, and look down.

"Nothing."

I shiver again, and I feel Jaime move his hands so they are completely encircling around my body, and picks me up the four inches so that I'm at the same height as him. "You know, I never realized how short you were."

"Put me down."

"And if I don't want to?" He asks, his eyebrows contracting as if he's surprised by my demand.

"Put me down or I'll scream bloody murder," I demand, though so obviously not serious.

"Says the person who spent the night in jail."

"Just put me down."

He does so, and then tilts my chin upwards, "you never told me what you were looking at."

I should spit him in his face, or knee him in the balls or something, instead I just put my hands on his shoulders and kiss him- this time not on the cheek.

He picks me up again, pressing us a little closer, and spins us around. It's so weird that I'm having my first kiss with a guy I'm supposed to hate.

He was just so warm, and his kiss was softer, gentler, than I would have imagined as his lips moved to briefly scrap against my jawline.

I breathed heavily, my head rolling over to the crook of his neck.

"I should get you home," he says, and he tugs me by the hand again.

* * *

Dementia contracts the flu a few days after I get out of jail. It's spreading around her school, so we leave her in a room and turn on the TV to low, give her several boxes of tissues, a 'puke-bucket', and lots of water.

Of course all she does is cry while she's sick, because she's so unstable but she doesn't want to hurt any of us, so none of us can go near her.

"If she gets any worse I'm going to have to take her to the ER," Jason mentions over dinner a few days after she gets sick.

He's right of course. Since she's come down with the flu she hasn't been getting better, if anything, she's been getting worse.

The next morning, when we are all getting ready for school, Dementia comes out of her sick room, looking like hell and doesn't say anything, just flops down on the couch and looks up at the ceiling, as if deciphering the meaning of life.

I leave first, since my school is the farthest, and Dementia just gives me a look, like she's trying to figure out the best way to dissect me.

School was uneventful (aside from music where they brought in a bunch of seniors to teach us how to dance, and I got partnered with Jaime), so when I finally swing the door open to our house/base, the last thing I expected was Dementia tapping her hand on the table, a Manila envelope under her arm.

She looked awfully calm for someone sick.

I play it safe, "Luna! You should be resting."

Instead she throws the envelope at my head, a whole new personality of rage quickly coming over her. "Mind explaining?" She seethes.

I wonder where every one else is for about five seconds, before I rip open the envelope and the glossy photos inside scatter onto the table.

I pick the closest one up, and briefly inspect it. Someone has taken a photo of me and Jaime kissing under the alcove. The next photo is us at the cafe, us holding hands and running.

Whoever took these has a very good camera. But that's not the point as Dementia looks ready to burst into flames across from me.

"Well, it appears to be photoshopped..." I say.

She slams her hand down on the table. "Bullshit!"

I don't reply, just sit the picture back down.

"Pack your stuff. You're out for the night. The rest of us will discuss whether or not you may stay part of this team."

"But-"

"NOW!" She screams. I shuffle away and notice her hands are shaking and tears are streaming down her face.

_A.N. Dear God, I updated back-to-back. And this chater is flipping long. Well, longer than the others. _

_Lame kiss scene is lame. Sorry about that, I even googled how to write a good kiss scene. I kept them bantering as long as possible... obviously I should not be allowed to write kiss scenes. _


	6. Chapter 6

Packing was unbelievably hard for me. Even though I knew that no one else was there currently, I felt like they were all already judging me.

I cried for a good five minutes, until my voice cracked and I had to wipe off the excess water from my face, massaging under my eyes so I didn't look like complete shit.

I grab a back pack, unzip it and throw in my toothbrush, deodorant, two pairs of socks, a sweatshirt and an extra shirt.

Hopefully, nothing too bad will come out of this.

I leave without saying goodbye to Dementia, and slam the door shut behind me, doing the best I can to not start sobbing all over again.

I walk probably half a mile before I find a subway train station. I hand over a few quarters to the desk worker, making sure to keep my hoodie covering my face, and when he asks where I'm headed, all I answer is: "El Paso".

I sit on the train with my bag beside me, and everyone else around me chippers happily. I draw my hoodie around closer, until the train squelches to a stop and I make a break for it.

Obviously, someone notices this and takes off after noticing me, either because they totally realize who I look like or I'm completely suspicious.

Running has never been my strong suit; especially when others are chasing me down a town, because there is always the chances of dead-ends, chain link fences, and cars pulling out in front of you.

Luckily, for the first three minutes of labored breathing and gasping while pushing myself (dear god, they have to be a cop if they can run this long without feeling anything), I don't have to climb a fence or jump a car.

Minute four and I'm snatched by my shoulder blade and carried into an alleyway. I take several abstract breaths while my head pounds out a hate letter to myself.

"Suspect lost, middle of West Boulevard," I can hear them say, but farther away.

I go to open my mouth to shout, when a hand wraps around just under my nose, sealing my mouth shut.

The police officer begins to head back down towards the Subway Train.

I tug the hand away, and whirl around, expecting to have to take down a vicious gang with rusty weapons. Instead, I find Jaime, staring at me with a stoic face.

"You-"

"Ready to join the team yet?" He asks, cutting me off.

"So, what? This has been your grand master plan this entire time? Lead me on until I'm kicked out and I have no choice but to go with you guys?"

He shuffles awkwardly, "Not exactly."

"Then what?!"

He holds up his hands defensively, "I do what Nightwing tells me to do, my role on Alpha Squad was for me to build friendship with you, while Nightwing and Arrowette had to try and persuade you to join the team. Shimmer set you up for jail, while Robin and Spoiler got the snapshots."

"Who's Shimmer?" I ask, but in the back of my mind I already know who it is. And it doesn't feel good.

"Luna," he says, though his voice seems lower, almost unhappy, "but that was her very last gig, and she didn't know what else was going on."

Of course not. And suddenly it's all true, the fact that I was tricked, and that I fell for it. Jason was right, I am stupid. "I'm not joining your little group, I don't care if I have to live on the streets," I say, dropping my bag on the ground and sitting down next to it, folding my arms across my chest.

"Which is why you are coming with me," he says, grabbing my arm and tugging me upward. In his other hand is my backpack already.

He tugs the hood over my eyes, and then leads me down the street, making sure everything is clear first, of course.

He talks to me about random things while we walk, which I am assuming is another act just to make it look like I'm his girlfriend so I'm not caught by police.

We reach a fairly deserted neighborhood, and then opens the door to the first house on the left, slinging my backpack onto the couch, "My mom is in Venice for a job meeting, and my sister as at a friends house for the weekend," he informs me, while I take off the hoodie.

"So, I can stay here?"

"As long as you like," he says with a grin, "even though you're supposed to be the bad guy, and I the good, doesn't mean we can't be friends."

Friends. The word echoes around in my head for a minute. I've very solemnly had friends, partly because of my shyness, partly because people are afraid I'm going to hurt them.

But Jaime is being sincere. "Fantastic, so, what should we do?"

Jaime gives me a quick tour of the house, and then we raid the fridge. We pull out packets of hot cocoa mix, a tub of ice cream, a bag of chips, a package of Oreo cookies, silverware, granola bars, and then I make the hot cocoa while he spreads a blanket on the floor in front of the living room Hi-Definition Screen, hooking up the PS3 and pulling out games and movies.

We spread out the snacks and put the cocoa next to us. I prop myself up on my elbows with a blanket, and Jaime sits next to me, criss-cross.

We do a Marvel movie marathon, and watch Thor, Captain America, The Incredible Hulk and then the first two Iron Man movies.

By the time we get around to watch Avengers, I'm practically asleep and all of the chips are gone. However, Jaime has none of that, makes me get up, and we build pillow and couch cushion fort for us to sit in while we watch the movie. Halfway through the movie I begin to nod off again, and I wake up two hours later to Jaime playing Call Of Duty.

"How are you still awake?" I ask, rubbing my eyes.

He shrugs and plugs a person in the head with his sniper rifle, "the Scarab has informed me that if I fall asleep, you waking up from your nap would result in permanent marker on my face."

"I see," I say, then spread myself out on the blanket, and cross my ankles, watching him shoot things on screen.

He turns the game off roughly around five AM when I'm considering going back to sleep. He just kind of lays down, and within seconds is fast asleep.

I contemplate for several minutes whether or not I should actually scribble on his face with marker, but then end up laying down next to him and napping myself.

Because if I'm going to hell, I mind as well have fun doing it.

_A.N. Next chapter is the last. _

_And this chapter was kind of pointless *shrugs* _

_No worries about this ending, I have an idea for another fic! And this time I'll get my buddy to Beta-Read for me. _


	7. Chapter 7

Cissie had been anticipating this day, probably more than myself, since I had told her the news.

She was hyped and excited, and pretty much organized the entire thing along with Megan

"This is chaos," Jaime mumbled once we got to Mt. Justice. I tightened my hand against his, and he kissed my temple before going off to find Bart.

Megan comes up to me, chattering excitedly, and then a few minutes later- because it's on schedule- she drags me down the hall for hairdressing and make-up.

Dinah and Diana work together brushing out my hair and then putting it into a long side braid over my shoulder, and then applying light strokes of the make-up.

Even though Cissie (and everyone else) keeps saying I will look beautiful (ravaging, stunning, insert any adjective you like that is a simile to pretty) it's hard to imagine looking better than Dinah and Diana.

When they finish my hair, they help me into my dress (this time I had Zatanna help me create the perfect dress could I couldn't imagine dress shopping with Cissie for hours), which is halter topped, has an empire waist and chiffon fabric. I move slightly and the older woman both gasp.

Zatanna has enchanted the dress so that it shimmers whenever I move.

There's a knock at the door, and a friendly face pokes their head in: Luna. I almost trip trying to get to her to hug her. Remember when she had the flu? Shortly after I was kicked off the team, Jason took her to the hospital, and also had her memory reconfigured. She's something of an informative to us now but she thinks that she grew up in a New York orphanage.

Her red hair is pulled back with a clip in a fan of hair, and two strands of curly hair frame her face. Her dress is strapless and ends above the knee, a soft yellow- almost candlelight- color.

She hugs me, then looks down at my dress, "you're beautiful."

"Thanks," I whisper, and she hugs me again then sinks back into the hallway.

Diana pulls out a pair of shoes from under a chair and holds them out to me. I noticed that they were brand new; even still had tags on them that Dinah snapped off. "Guys-"

"Shh," Diana says, then slides the heeled white sandals onto my feet, then clasps them. I lift them and noticed the white rosé adorned in the middle.

After that, Dinah revised my vows and Diana thought up what embarrassing story she was going to tell during the reception. After what seems like ever, someone knocks on the door and tells us 'five minutes'.

I can literally feel all of the caterpillars in my stomach transform into butterflies.

Everybody gets ready, and I noticed that Zatanna has completely rearranged the Mountain so that the kitchen and living room and the first spare room are adjourned into a long clear hallway.

A large door blocks that off though. Seven year old Valentina goes through first with her basket in hand, followed by five year old Damain as ring bearer. Cissie goes next, and then Diana holds out her arm to me, and I wrap my arm around hers.

Breath in, breath out.

It seems endless really, the walk, even though I know it only takes a few seconds. When I get to the front, under the white lilies and deep red roses. Cissie is smiling and crying and her crimson dress highlights her figure, and the stark white lilies she's holding.

Even though I know the seating arrangement by heart, I can't help but look to see Barbara sitting in the back with her new boyfriend, Dick and Zatanna are sitting in the front together, having rekindled their old relationship and are now expecting their first child.

Wally is sitting next to Artemis, looking very tired. He was rescued from the Speedforce approximately three days ago.

Luna is nowhere to be seen, but I don't blame her. She's not a crowd person anymore.

When the time comes around, I can't blurt out the words fast enough, and I can hear the light chuckle of the audience, causing me to blush lightly.

After everything settles down, we can finally exchange vows. Jaime's is heartfelt and sweet, with bits of Spanish included.

I open my crisp piece of parchment, and begin reciting my vow, which I agonized over for a few months now.

"To my love, I know we didn't along when we first met. We didn't compliment each other, in fact I still remember your last words to me when I first left the Hall of Justice.

"Of course, progressively, even though on totally opposite sides of the spectrum, we became close friends. And once I joined the team, closer.

"And then, somehow, Bart tricked us into going out. And now, we're here, and I know, in my heart, there is no way I could possibly be happier."

There's applause, and I can vaguely see most of the woman in the audience crying, their eyes brimming over.

Zatanna changes the room again, now a the size of a football field with glossy oak floors and shiny tables laden with delicious goods.

Megan makes us take pictures, in various formations. Me and Diana, me and Jaime, Jaime and Bart, me and Cissie, on and on. Garfield is handling the camera with his new friend, Raven, who joined the team a couple of months ago.

Finally we are released for the reception, and Megan announces that if anyone would like to share stories, then now would be the time.

Bart immediately stands up, knocking over his chair in one devastating move, "Once upon a time-"

_A.N. This chapter takes approximately five years after the last chapter. This story is also now complete. _

_I will be coming out with a new story soon (currently in planning stage.) and it will have a lot of nods towards WonderBeetle. However it will be kind of like a dystopian AU though... _


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